GERMANY has branded London's Olympics "one big, soggy mess" in a tongue-in-cheek preview of the Games, stating that people across Britain are dreading the sporting event.

News magazine Der Spiegel, painted a dire picture of the upcoming games, which kick-off next Friday, arguing that "London and the Olympic Games are clearly not made for each other."

With last week's G4S "security shambles" resulting in almost twice as many soldiers being in London than Afghanistan, the article asserts "the city looks like it's under siege," rather than hosting a celebration of sport.

The article sympathises with the many London commuters who are quaking in their boots at the prospect of getting to work during the event, saying that the Games "will be an arduous obstacle course for everyone."

"The city is already being pushed to its limits on a daily basis," the author writes, "the potential for ugly scenes are tremendous."

The article also points out the significant cost of the Games, which will reportedly be ten times higher than the original estimate, highlighting that a parliamentary committee recently concluded that it will cost the public sector alone £11 billion.

"Some critics believe that the total cost for London will, in fact, amount to some £24 billion," the author adds.

Der Spiegel also quotes renowned London author A.A. Gill, who recently wrote in the New York Times that "we have, collectively, osmotically, decided that we hate the Olympics" as a nation.

The article highlights how much pride the British have of their country, but says that "the Olympics have nothing to do with Britishness and that's the British are showing so little enthusiasm for the games."

It concluded by stating: "Those who live there will be delighted, of course, but only once it's over."